CLEVELAND - Ohio University softball freshman infielder Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) has been named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday (March 31).

Hutchinson earns weekly conference honors for the first time in her career. The freshman is the third Bobcat to earn league player of the week recognition in 2014. Sophomore infielder Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) garnered honors on Feb. 17 while junior outfielder Adrienne Gebele (Annapolis, Md.) earned accolades on Feb. 24.

Hutchinson led the charge for a huge offensive weekend for Ohio (18-14, 3-1 MAC), helping the Bobcats open MAC play with a 3-1 mark.

The freshman hit a team-best .625 with a .688 slugging percentage and a team-high 10 hits to go along with three RBIs and three runs scored over the first four games of league action. She has recorded five straight multi-hit games.

Hutchinson added three singles, drove in two runs and scored two more to lead the charge as Ohio soared to a 14-4 triumph over Eastern Michigan in the 2014 MAC opener on Friday (March 28) in Ann Arbor, Mich. She followed it up with three more base knocks in a 12-4 win in game two of the Friday twin bill. She also scored a run. Hutchinson went 2-for-4 with a double on Saturday (March 29) in a 5-3 victory over Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich. She closed the weekend by going 2-for-3 in the Sunday (March 30) series finale against the Chippewas.

In her rookie campaign, Hutchinson ranks second on the team with a .330 batting average and 33 hits. She has started all 32 games and has hit safely in 19 of them.

As a team, Ohio has begun league play by hitting .386 with 49 hits - including 17 for extra bases.

The Bobcats return to Athens this weekend to host a pair of MAC East Division foes, taking on Kent State in a Friday (April 4) doubleheader before welcoming Buffalo on Saturday (April 5) and Sunday (April 6) to the Ohio Softball Field.